Read this:
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news...130405639.html
I think this article gives too much credit to political action. It misses a big point. CA and WA don't have a lot of mass transit compared to NY, CT, and NJ.
Californian and to a lesser extent Washington are saved by their car cultures. People in those states spend a lot more time alone in traffic.
But the subways and buses in NYC and the commuter rails connecting NYC to its suburbs in NY, CT and NJ are disease vectors.
Also, southern CA has warm weather which enables people to spend more time outdoors.
But people in the rest of the USA, particularly the northeast, has miserable weather in February and March, so people spend more time in close quarters indoors.
I think CA and WA just have slower rising curves, but they are rising. They may flatten out in another couple of weeks. But this article is premature.